Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohammed Buba Marwa (retd) will on Friday, March 19 inaugurate a newly built multi-purpose clinic and drug rehabilitation centre in Ogbomoso in Oyo State.
The 16-bed rehab centre named The Behavioral Action Care Foundation Centre was built by a group of natives of the town, Ogbomoso First Community Initiative otherwise known as “O 1st Group” as part of their efforts to stem the dangerous tide of drug abuse in the area.
The board Chairman of the Behavioral Action Care Foundation, a unit of the O 1ST Group, Otunba Bayo Babatunde said in a press statement that the hospital was built to check the prevalence of drug usage and abuse prompted by the location of a university community in the town as well as the large presence of immigrants from Ghana, Niger, Benin, India and China among others.
“Historically, Ogbomoso indigenes are Republicans, peaceful, enterprising and widely travelled. However, things have changed and as in other parts of the country and the traditional values of hard work and moral standards are disappearing and giving way to acts alien to our community. This is worrisome especially when you consider the potential insecurity of lives, property and most especially the future of the community when majority of the youths are drug dependent.” he stated
As a remedial measure, he disclosed that the group agreed on a position around the fight against drugs and substances abuse in the community and have been spreading the message to all, that, the high rate of consumption and abuse of various drugs and substances which are inimical to the health of the consumer is a visa to mental distress and psychiatric disorders and ultimate collapse of the future development of the youth population.
Otunba Babatunde said the group in collaboration with the NDLEA had in the past embarked on steps to facilitate the sensitization of the populace through Radio talk shows, lectures on the dangers of drug abuse as well as 1,000-man march around Ogbomoso township against the use and abuse of drugs.
He explained that the new clinic and rehabilitation centre was equipped with furnishings and equipment, indoor games, 40 kva Diesel Generator and one unit 7.5 kva Tiger Petrol Generator to ensure that The Behavioural Action Care Foundation Centre in Ogbomoso was able to carry out its responsibilities of counselling, engaging, educating, treat and provide rehabilitation therapy for substance abusers.
Otunba Bababtunde also hinted that other activities lined up for the ceremony include the inauguration of projects including the reticulated water supply to the community, transformer to power the Oke Osuru, community base of O’ First Group while there would be a media launch of the Women Search Initiative – a program designed by the native’s joint team and the NDLEA (Ogbomoso first group+NDLEA) stressing that all the senior paramount rulers, chiefs, political leaders, other leaders of thoughts, religious leaders, youth forum, security agencies, women societies are expected to attend the event.
